The soilder getting off the chair by chance?

I'm really enjoying the shots from over there! What's the view on globalisation - is the style that's evident in this shot welcomed on the whole?

A nice, extraordinary subject, judging by the rest of street elements. The colours of the posters are exposed, I like it, even if it's not your best :).

good question. any problems?

Darrrell: yep, for a scary second or two I thought he was about to wander in my direction and complain.

Justin: I'm not sure, I wasn't really there long enough to tell, but the impression I got from the few people I met is that the speed of change in China was simultaneously seen as a source of pride and something quite perplexing.

I like the contrast, similar to yesterdays shot, between the posters and the clothesline.

Wow. This is getting better and better !! What a great idea to mix different tones and contrasts in this picture !! Color poping out of my screen from the 'west' and more subtle color for the 'east' ... The laundry hanging out the window, the guy in the back ... Everything fall very naturally into place. You were at your best on this one !! I wish I was there with you on that trip !

Fred @ 400iso.com

Fascinating series so far Dave. Worth setting up a gallery for the China shots perhaps?

I really like the bright colours in these last two shots. I think the soldier would make me a little nervous too.

Contrast indeed... the colors of the photos versus the more drab colors of the street sceen... the seemingly care-free poses of the models versus the presumably not-so-care-free soldier apparantly guarding the corner. Nice job.

I too am guessing that your source of angst was just getting off his chair during this capture. Glad you didn't run into any issues there. And, are those bolts sticking up out of the sidewalk?

Can anyone out there interpret the writing (on the yellow tapestry and/or the red and white sign across the street) to add additional meaning to the scene for us? Thanx.

I prefered the monochrome shots...or the one from the plane. This just lacks an attraction to me...

What happens, I find myself wondering (perhaps because that's the way I think), to this photo if you make the soldier in color and everything else in B&W? I know... It's a very different picture, with a VERY different "point". Anyway-

BTW, I like the photo the way you've posted it.

I find that this is definitely an interesting shot, but mostly because of the soldier. In fact, it was pretty much the first thing that I noticed in the photo.

Just curious, what was he doing sitting there? Was it common in the places you went to see soldiers around?

Just based on my year spent in Dalian, I don't believe that man was a soldier. Army regulars don't usually spend time on street corners...in fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a police officer when you needed one. A lot of the locals, mainly the older ones, seemed to enjoy wearing camouflage clothing which I believe harks from the days when one wore drab peasant clothing as a type of "uniform" for lack of better terms. More than likely, he was just very curious at the foreigner with the big camera.

striking colours on this one. good thing the soldier didnt bother you.

well, people have been speculating what made u go jumpy for this photo. I would say that it could very well be the 3 models pictured.. they are bautiful and they jus added beauty to ur shot. :)
nice capture btw..

Hmm. Interesting shot, but I'm more intrigued by your choice of title. Where exactly is the 'west' in this shot? The glamour photography? Isn't that a western bias to think that eastern cultures don't have glamour as a natural part of their culture and that it wasn't neccesaily imported from the West? I see that sort of photography to be a natural development in any culture, and China has certainly been developing rapidly in the last 50 years. So personally, I don't see anything 'west' in here at all, just a reflection on the modern 'east'. Nice shot though...

Ah, such a great colors plus they are cute :)

very thought provokin shot, makes us think of the effects of globalisation and reflects the way china is coping with it..

Great shot. Goeff, it cannot be described as 'natural' development. Galmour is not imported from the west to east but western fashion sure is. It is the western infuence in fashion is what Dave is talking about.

Well, nice shot, but I prefer that witty one by the beach about fishing sign much more. Actually when you travel around China, you will see that kind of "west meet east" or dramatically contrasting scenes at almost every corner. It's quite exciting, inspiring and interesting to witness this great changing process! Thanks for showing this to all the world!!

Dave, I know exactly what you mean about taking photos in a strange culture... I was lucky enough to visit Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing this year, and felt exactly the same. In the event, HK and Shanghai were fine, but I got shouted at by a soldier in Tiananmen Square for taking his picture! I thought for a moment that I was going to get arrested, because the shouting attracted a lot of attention, but I did my best to look apologetic and walked away, and that was the end of it! I stuck to photographing buildings after that!

Thanks everyone.

PhilB: yes, I'll probably add another gallery to the site. Good idea.

Rod: yes, they are bolts, but I have no idea what they're for.

peter: good idea, but the soldier (or not - thanks Bernard, you may well be right) isn't in focus so I don't think that would work, at least not all that well.

Geoff: I may be wrong, but I suspect that the version of 'glamour' portrayed by these models is heavily influenced by Western practices and ideals.

wowww~~~~

rich and poor in the image, yes , this is china , developing china.

i from china, china go through changing, eastren and westren culture mixed, so , somebody rich and somebody poor.

i love photography, and taking. i wish communion with everybody:)

though my english is bad :(

by the way, the chinese word in photo mean is " if u want change, since your head " :)